Hollow article



C. C. SMITH HOLLOW ARTICLE Oct. 22, 1935.

Filed July 9, 1934 "hi m v A TTORNEYS Patented Oct. 22, 1935 PATENT OFFICE HOLLOW ARTICLE Charles 0. Smith, Cleveland, The Matchless Company,

corporation of Ohio Ohio, assignor to Cleveland, Ohio, at

Application July 9, 1934, Serial No. 734,279 9 Claims. (01. 67-71) This invention relates to formation of hollow articles and to a type of article particularly adapted for use in lighters.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved hollow article which will be attractive in appearance.

Another object is to provide an improved hollow article which may be easily and economically produced.

Another object is to provide an improved article composed of a plurality of parts which may readily be assembled.

Another object is to provide an improved article in which all the parts will be retained frictionally.

Other articles will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of one practical embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a view of two metal parts used in manufacturing a hollow shell, in the shape which they assume after being blanked out but before being formed;

Figure 2 is a view of the same parts after the forming operation;

Figure 3 is a view of the parts of Figures 1 and 2 together with their associated parts arranged in position for the final assembly of the shell;

Figure 4 is a view,:partly in section, of a striker for use in the shellmade of the parts above referred to;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the assembled device;

Figure 6 is a centralsectional view of. the assembled device of Figure 5 taken on the line VI-VI thereof; and

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view of the assembled device of Figure 6 taken on the line VII-VII thereof.

The finished device consists of a metal shell, made of two metal pieces I and 2, formed and arranged as will be hereafter described, two plugs or heads 3 and 4, a piece of pyrophoric material 5, and an absorbent pad 6, together with a striking mechanism consisting of a handle 1, a striker 8, and a wick 9. These parts are most clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4.

As shown in Figure 1, the parts I and 2 are cut from sheet metal in the form of rectangular strips having the same length, and the former being considerably wider than the latter. Piece I is intended to form three sides of a quadrilateral container, while piece 2 forms the fourth side thereof, the ends being closed by the parts 3 and 4.

Either before or after cutting the pieces I and 2 from the sheet, the former, which will, in the finished device, constitute the majority of the enclosed surface, is provided with any desired ornamentation Ill which may be of any desired char- 5 acter and applied in any desired manner.

However, I find that particularly attractive devices can be made by etching, stamping, plating, enameling and/ or combinations of these. For instance, if a brass or bronze alloy is used, coloring 10 the background a dark color is quite effective. Also, upon a brass or bronze, a background of silver plating produces a very attractive color scheme. With either yellowish or whitish metals various colors, lacquers, or enamels may be used 5 to produce quite striking and aesthetic results. The application of the ornamentation to the piece I in a fiat condition is much easier than would be the case if it were already fabricated into its final form. 20

After being cut to shape, pieces I and 2 are bent into channel-shaped form at the places indicated by dotted lines at I I and I2, respectively, and their edges are rolled over as indicated at I3 and I4, respectively, in Figure 2. The rolled-over edges I4 25 of part 2 are of slightly greater curvature than those I3 of part I, so that the former may fit within the latter and hold them together.

These edges next are interlocked, as indicated in Figure 3, and an absorbent pad 6 is inserted 30 within the hollow of the shell. This pad may conveniently consist of a piece of felt, stamped, as shown, into rectangular form with a notch I5 cut into it for the reception of the striker.

The caps or plugs 3 and 4 are next put into position, and pressed into the space enclosed by pieces I and 2. These caps each consists of a plug part I6 shaped to fit snugly within the space defined by pieces I and 2 and hold the latter outwardly, with its rolled edges I4 firmly interlocked with the rolled edges l3 of the former. These plugs also have a marginal flange I1 which overlies the edges of pieces I and 2 and limits the distance that the plug may be inserted between them. The two plugs are identical excepting for the fact that plug 3 has a tapered hole l8 for the reception of the striker. The plugs may conveniently be formed of molded material such as fiber or synthetic resin.

After the above described parts have been assembled, the strip 5 of pyrophoric material, which may conveniently be round as illustrated, or of any other desired shape, is pressed into the groove between rolled edges I3, which fric- 55 30 to strike a light will, be exposed to receive the ever, being notched 7 2 A V tionally retain the same 'in place. The flanges I1 ofthecaps overlie a portion of the ends of this pyrophoric material and prevent it from sliding V lengthwise out of the groove, these flanges, howas indicated at I 9, so that theydo not extend quite to the outer surface of this bar, and are therefore out of the way of the striker when in. use.

' The striker, as previously mentioned, consists 'of a handle 7 which is of generally cylindrical shape and provided with .a tapered surface 20,

adapted to frictionally engage. the surface when not in use, and with a knurled head 2| by which it may conveniently be twisted loose within this hole and held while striking on the pyrophoric material. The cylindrical part of the striker is drilled and counter-bored, as indicated at 22 and 23, respectively, and into the former opening is forced a cylindrical bar 8 of hard material which .is usedto contact the pyrophoric bar.

The bar 8 may conveniently be simply a cylindrical piece of steel or wire driven tightly into the hole 22.

' lowspace, two plugs Within the annular space between bar 8 and counterbore 23' is positioned a wick, which may conveniently be of asbestos fabric or other absorbent and preferably incombustible material,

the ends of which extend from the recess 23, so

that when the striker is put into the container they will contact the pad 6, and when it is used spark from the friction of bar 8 with bar 5.

The operation of the device is as follows:- The pad 6 is saturated with an inflammable liquid such as gasoline or alcohol, the striker is inserted within the casing, so that wick 9 contacts the pad 6 and '50 becomes moistened with the liquid.' When it is desired to strike a light.

the striker is turned by means of handle 2| and withdrawn from the casing, and then bar 8 is drawn along the pyrophoric bar 5 to strike a spark therefrom which, impinging upon the 'wick '9, causes the liquid to burst into flame.

While I have described the illustrated embodiment of my invention in some particularity, obviously many others will readily occur to those skilled in this art, and I do not limitmyself to the precise details shown and described, but claim as my invention all embodiments, variations and "modifications thereof coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: a

1. A casing consisting of' two channel-shaped sheet metal pieces having the edges of the flanges thereof interlocked to form between them a hollow space, and twoplugs inserted within the space so formed and closing its ends.

2. A casing consisting of two channel-shaped sheet metal pieces having the edges of the'flanges thereof interlocked. to form between them a holinserted within the space so formed and closing its ends, and a piece of held between said interlocked flanges,

ends, a piece of pyrophoric material frictionally held between said interlocked flanges.

3. A casing consisting of two channel-shaped sheet metal pieces having the edges of the flanges thereof interlocked to form between them 5 a hollow'space, twoplugs inserted within the space so formed and closing its ends, a piece of pyrophoric material frictionally held between 7 'said interlocked flanges, and an absorbent pad within the hollow of the casing so formed.

4. A casing consisting. of two channel-shaped '5. A lighter comprising a casing consisting 01'. 7 two channel-shaped sheet metal pieces having 20 v the edges of theflanges thereof interlocked to form between them a hollow space,'two plugs inserted within the space so formed'and closing its ends, a piece of pyrophoric material frictionally the plugs overlapping the ends of. the bar of pyrophoric material, an aperture through one of said plugs,

and a striker removably positioned in'said aper-' ture.

6. A lighter comprising a casing consisting of two channel-shaped sheet metal pieces having the edges of the flanges thereof interlocked to form between them a hollow space, two plugs inwithin the space so formed and closing its pyrophoric material frictionally held between 'said interlocked flanges, the plugs overlapping the'ends of the bar of pyrophoric material, an aperture through one of said plugs, and a striker removably positioned in said 'aper- .ture, the striker having a conical surface engaging a conical seat formed in said aperture.

7,-A casingconsisting of two channel-shaped serted sheet metal pieces having the edges of the flanges thereof interlocked to form between them a hollow space, two plugs inserted within the space so formed and closing its ends, the plugs being provided with flanges overlying the edges of said channel.

8. A casing consisting of two channel-shaped pieces having the edges of the flanges interlocked to form between them a hollow space, and two plugs inserted within the space so formed and closing its ends. I i

9. A casing consisting of two channel-shaped pieces having the edges of the flanges thereof 55 interlocked to form between them' a hollow space, two plugs inserted within the space so formed andclosing its ends, and a piece of pyrophoric material frictionally held between said interlocked flanges, e

1 CHAS. C. SMITH.

piece of 15 7 thereof 50: V 

